Are service contracts worth it?

STvex

Hi,

In Long Island there are several companies such oil deliver and HVAC companies that offer service contracts that cover their service calls plus parts if the plan covers parts. Are these services worth it for gas hot water boilers? Most of the plans include an annual tune up. What tune up is needed for gas hot water boilers and are the techs they send to diagnose qualified?

I have a weil mclain CG-15 115K BTU gas hot water boiler and contemplating getting a plan as this isn't my expertise. Is at least the annual tune up worth the yearly cost? i know no plans that cover the replacement of a boiler but do the other electrical parts go out often that would require frequent replacement?

I am trying to research this and figured why not ask the community. I hope these service contracts aren't up selling opportunities to sell a new boiler to the customer.

Jamie Hall

There is one other consideration about a service contract -- or a solid relationship with your oil dealer (if you're on gas, that doesn't apply). If your heating system goes paws up at Oh dark hundred Christmas morning in a blizzard, you'll get help. Otherwise... maybe... next week...

EBEBRATT-Ed

What @Jamie Hall said is true.

It is a good Idea to have a gas boiler checked and tuned although some will question if it needs to be done every year.

It is a balancing act. You will (should) get service faster than non-contract customers.

If the tech is doing the job properly, they do a combustion test which checks for carbon monoxide among other things which is important.

Ask them a bunch of questions:

Do they include cleaning the heating surfaces of the boiler?
Do they clean the burners?
do they check the chimney flue and smoke pipe?
do they do a complete combustion test with printed results?
Do they check operation of all safety and operating controls?


Boiler replacements go for a lot of $$$ these days. The days of doing a residential replacement for $2500 are long gone

STvex

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

What @Jamie Hall said is true.

It is a good Idea to have a gas boiler checked and tuned although some will question if it needs to be done every year.

It is a balancing act. You will (should) get service faster than non-contract customers.

If the tech is doing the job properly, they do a combustion test which checks for carbon monoxide among other things which is important.

Ask them a bunch of questions:

Do they include cleaning the heating surfaces of the boiler?
Do they clean the burners?
do they check the chimney flue and smoke pipe?
do they do a complete combustion test with printed results?
Do they check operation of all safety and operating controls?


Boiler replacements go for a lot of $$$ these days. The days of doing a residential replacement for $2500 are long gone

Thank you for the response. These questions are awesome. I am going to ask.